The Virginia Senate showed Tuesday that tobacco and guns are still valued and protected, both culturally and politically, by many of the state's residents.
The Democrat-controlled chamber dealt significant blows Tuesday to two major proposals championed by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), setbacks for a governor who has struggled to score legislative victories during his tenure.
The Senate Finance Committee deadlocked on Kaine's proposal to double the tax on cigarettes, a move aimed at raising money to close a $3 billion budget shortfall. Hours later, the full Senate rejected a bill that would have required merchants who sell weapons at gun shows to first conduct background checks on the buyers. The measure's sponsor used a procedural maneuver to keep the legislation alive, at least for one more day. [Update: the bill to close the "loophole" is officially dead. See here.]
The Senate also voted to repeal a law that prohibited anyone from carrying concealed weapons into a club or restaurant where alcohol is served.
Article here. We'll have to see if Gov. Kaine signs the bill repealing the concealed carry in restaurants prohibition (open carry is already lawful in restaurants), if the bill makes it to his desk.
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1 comment:
He won't sign it. He vetoed it last year.
We're hoping, though, that we can swing the couple of votes we were short last year to over-ride his veto.
And this is Timmy Boy's last year in office so if we can't get it done this year...
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